welcome to optimism

Maybe it’s just me, or perhaps it’s simply the sweet sweet air of Spitalfields, but everyone here seems to have a bit more of a spring in their step. Sure, there are the occasional finishes at stupid o’clock (the most stupid being 3am), the odd weekend in the office, and the fact that we have one toilet per fifty people (roughly), but when you’re enjoying what you’re doing these trivialities don’t really matter that much (as long as the loos remain clean, of course – a dirty bathroom frankly ruins everything). Everyone seems to be passionate, motivated – and, well, very good.

I’m loving being closer to ‘the work’. Working in a media agency, no matter where or on what, you always feel one step removed from where the action really is. Rightly or wrongly, but it’s true. It’s a great feeling being able to go to the client with an idea, have it approved in hours then work closely with the creative teams to bring it to life. That is, really bring it to life – not commit it to powerpoint and farm it out somewhere for someone else to realise. And I’m pretty sure this is why I got into the industry in the first place.

I left a great job, in a good agency, with a team that I loved. Luckily it appears the new role is even more awesome, the agency is as exactly as it’s brand would have you believe, and the people equally great. We’ve even started a soup club, which as I write seems awfully twee. But it’s not. Honest. And as if to ensure it didn’t become so, ‘blog lord’ Paul Colman complained that the inaugural soup – a wonderful tomato and basil effort crafted by Ms. Sophie Piper – was too ‘tomatoey’. He was wrong, but everyone’s entitled to their opinion.

I’m only six weeks in. There’s plenty of time for everything to change. But at a time when we’re all grateful to simply have a job, to have one that’s so dynamic, stimulating and motivating in such an amazing environment makes me feel very fortunate indeed.

i’m with you dude – working daily with creatives and other folk who have energy, passion and belief is amazing.

clearly, it would be even better if media planning just pulled away from media buying and went back in with full-service agencies… (leaving media buying to be run by a computer alogrithm or a call centre floor of people in places where office space isn’t so expensive, like the north or the midlands or something.

I agree with you about being removed from the process while being in a media agency. I started off in a buying agency and was even more sheltered. I then moved over to a boutique planning and strategy agency and felt at least I was involved in the planning process at an earlier stage. However, given that media is no longer ‘media’ in the same sense as it was 10 years ago, it makes more sense that ‘media’ planners are becoming more involved in the process before the creative has been determined.

It’s great to hear that you’re still passionate and appreciative of the work that you do … it’s quite refreshing!